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Jason Potts

Senior Associate, Sustainable Markets and Responsible Trade

Jason Potts manages the Sustainable Markets and Responsible Trade (SMART) Program at the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

Prior to joining IISD, Mr. Potts worked with the Trade, Employment and Competitiveness Program at the International Development Research Centre, as well as the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s Trade and Environment Branch on issues at the nexus of trade, environment and international development. Mr. Potts has published on competition policy, commodity policy and the relationship between corporate social responsibility, private standards and sustainable trade. Mr. Potts is Coordinator and co-founder of the Sustainable Commodity Initiative, President of the Finance Alliance for Sustainable Trade, Director of Equiterre, and Director of Fast.

IISD Perspectives on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable DevelopmentAs the Sustainable Development Goals were in the final hours of negotiation in 2015, and in the early days of implementation in 2016, IISD experts reflected on the implications for countries, the UN system, and our own programs of work. These articles, first published as a series of blog postings, are the outward expression of that thought process.

Quantifying the Challenges of Adopting Sustainability Criteria for Biofuel ProductionThis case study examines the challenges associated with certifying the production of sustainable alternative fuels (SAFs) for the commercial aviation sector. It draws on interviews with producers who underwent certification for sustainable practices, a literature review on sustainability standards and certification processes, and personal communication with professionals from the aviation industry and academia.

How Canada Should Support Low-Carbon Growth AbroadJason Potts, in an article originally published in The Hill Times, argues that Canada's overseas development assistance needs to focus on realizing the commitments of the Paris climate change agreement.

The State of Sustainable Markets: Statistics and emerging trends 2015IISD contributes to a joint report with ITC and FiBL on the State of Sustainable Markets. This joint report builds off of the IISD’s State of Sustainability Initiatives Review 2014 by reporting on the market performance of 14 voluntary sustainability standards across nine agricultural commodity sectors.